Windwhistle Primary School in Weston 'requires improvement'

Windwhistle Primary School has been told it must make further improvements after Ofsted found too many pupils were leaving without the reading, writing, and maths skills expected for the next stage of their education.

Inspectors said new leaders had begun to stabilise the Weston-super-Mare school after a period of significant change but identified concerns over attainment, attendance, behaviour, and support for some vulnerable pupils.

Windwhistle Primary School, on Kingsley Road, was inspected on June 23, with the reported published on July 22.

Ofsted judged safeguarding to be effective and rated the school’s early years provision at the expected standard but said six other areas — including achievement, attendance and behaviour, teaching, inclusion, leadership, and pupils’ wider development — all “need attention.”

Inspectors said the school had experienced a “significant period of turbulence,” with numerous changes in leadership and staffing affecting school life and pupils’ outcomes.

The report stated: “Too many pupils are not appropriately prepared for the next stage of their education.”

It said Year 1 phonics screening outcomes were “not high enough,” while too few pupils achieved an appropriate standard in reading, writing, and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Academic performance half the national average over past three years

Published attainment figures cited in the report show that, over the latest three-year period, 31% of pupils reached the expected combined standard in reading, writing, and maths, compared with 61% nationally.

The academic year 2023/24 resulted in particularly poor achievement for people at the school. That year, only 13% of students reached the expected combined standard across core subjects.

The school’s three-year average was also below the national figure in reading, writing, and maths individually. However, results improved significantly in the year 2024/25.

Attendance was another major concern at the Weston school. In the 2024/25 academic year, overall absence stood at 9%, compared with a national average of 5.2%.

Persistent absence, which is defined as pupils missing at least 10% of sessions, was 31.3% last year, more than double the national average of 13%.

While academic rates remain below the national average, inspectors said children were attending more often than in previous years and the number of persistently absent pupils had reduced.

School improvements and good behaviour recognised by Ofsted

The report said the school had made progress following work done by the new leadership's efforts to improve academics, monitor attendance closely and build relationships with families.

Ofsted also said behaviour had improved and was generally calm around the school, with no recent incidents of bullying.

Inspectors said the school did not always identify the barriers to learning faced by disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and disabilities precisely enough.

However, "leaders and staff generally know their pupils well", and help raise their aspirations for achievement.

The report also praised the early years provision, saying children in nursery and reception “get off to a flying start”.

It found that pupils feel safe, parents are highly supportive, and children are proud of their school, kind, and polite to one another.

Windwhistle Primary School have been contacted for comment.